Cutting instruments of all types, including scissors, thread nippers, and cutting instruments employing cooperating pivoting blades, typically employ a finger or thumb loop. A finger or thumb loop can be beneficial as it enables the user to securely hold the cutting instrument and assists the user in controlling the instrument during use.
However, finger or thumb loops secured to a cutting instrument do have drawbacks and disadvantages. For example, cutting instruments of the type being discussed are widely used in and around textile machinery. In fact they are used to cut thread, yarn, etc., in close proximity to these machines. This may present a safety hazard inasmuch as the potential may exist for the cutting instrument to be inadvertently projected into a machine and for the machine to in turn pull the cutting instrument into it. This presents a concern for the user.
Moreover, there are many users of cutting instruments such as a thread nipper that consider a finger or thumb loop to be totally unnecessary. In such cases the presence of a finger or thumb loop hinder effective and efficient use of the cutting instrument. There are many users of cutting instruments, especially cutting instruments of the thread nipper type who prefer not to have a finger or thumb loop structure extending from the body of the cutting instrument.
Thus, there has been and continues to be a need for a "breakaway" finger or thumb loop for use in conjunction with cutting instruments of the type being discussed above. Such a breakaway finger or thumb loop would reduce the potential risk of a user's hand being drawn into a machine. In addition, it would enable the user to make use of the cutting instrument with or without the finger loop attached.